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Rockies avoid arbitration, agree to deals with Lopez, Outman

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DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with right-handed pitcher Wilton Lopez and left-handed pitcher Josh Outman. Terms of the deals were not disclosed, per club policy.

Lopez, 29, was acquired by Colorado from Houston on December 4th in exchange for right-handed pitcher Alex White and Alex Gillingham. He spent all of the 2012 season in the Astros bullpen as a late-inning reliever for the third-straight season. The Leon, Nicaragua native went 6-3 with 10 saves, a 2.17 ERA (66.1 ip, 16 er), 8 walks and 54 strikeouts in 64 games for Houston in 2012. Over his four Major League seasons (2009-2012), Lopez is 13-11 with 11 saves, a 3.14 ERA (223.2 ip, 78 er), 39 walks and 169 strikeouts in 213 games, all with Houston. Lopez owns a career 68.1-percent ground ball percentage, including a 70.1-percent mark in 2012. Among Major League relievers with at least 150 appearances since 2010, Lopez’s 31 walks are the third fewest, behind only Rafael Betancourt (28 BB) and Sergio Romo (29 BB).

Outman, 28, was acquired by Colorado from Oakland exactly one year ago today on January 16, 2012 along with right-handed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso in exchange for Seth Smith. Outman appeared in 27 games, including 7 starts, for Colorado in 2012 while splitting the campaign between the Majors and the Minors. He went 1-3 with an 8.19 ERA (40.2 ip, 37 er), 20 walks and 40 strikeouts in his 27 Major League games. He went 2-5 with a 3.48 ERA (72.1 ip, 28 er) in 17 games, 12 starts, across three Minor League levels in 2012. Outman is 9-11 with a 4.69 ERA (192.0 ip, 100 er), 76 walks and 147 strikeouts in 60 games, 32 starts, in his Major League career with Oakland (2008-09, 2011) and Colorado (2012).